


riddle me this

by tastry



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, Humanstuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-06
Updated: 2012-11-06
Packaged: 2017-11-18 03:32:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/556419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tastry/pseuds/tastry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Terezi Pyrope think she's able to keep a secret. However, Vriska Serket proves otherwise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	riddle me this

**Author's Note:**

> omfg im so sorry

Your feet were propped up on the desk in front of you. Papers were flying askew and slipping onto the dusty floor of your office, but that really wasn’t a concern at the moment. As of today, you've got big, big plans that need to be set in motion, but how you plan to do so really wasn’t a priority as of thus. Your firm was never really about planning and organising and discussing anyway. Perhaps that’s why you guys were in the dumps right now.

The glass surrounding your office was muggy -- dirty and you can vaguely see a small smiley face with a clown nose drawn with the dirt. You shake your head, just barely hiding an irritated scowl as you close your eyes. 

That guy.

Honestly, there wasn’t much to say about that guy, sans a few things that you’d rather not come out with in a professional atmosphere. Hiring him wasn’t your idea, and keeping him was sure as hell not part of the package that you struck with his ‘employer.’ However the stingiest guy in the building had pointed something out to you -- something that you have been trying to avoid for the longest time -- and that smiley face was a reminder to you that you must be patient.

Your name is Terezi Pyrope and you’re running a failing law firm.

“Ms. Pyrope!” you hear, and you barely have enough time to kick your feet off your desk before one of your colleagues came bristling in. You’ve always told him that if he wants to keep a professional job then he better keep a professional appearance, but then again there hasn’t been many times where he’s listened to your input.

“Karkles,” you said, bright eyes hinted with an amusement that you can just _tell_ he’s fuming already. And not even a thirty-second interaction as of yet. 

Pyrope: 1  
Vantas: 0

“Ms. Pyrope,” he replied thickly, and you heard him fixing up that tangled mess of a mane that he calls hair. His fuss doesn’t last very long, and you heard his hands drop to his side again. “I’ve come to give you Makara’s weekly report.”

You wrinkled your nose as if you’ve smelled something bad. “Giving me the chance to fire him?” you said, uncrossing your arms and reaching for your cane.

Karkat sighed and you can hear him shuffle a bit and you snicker. He’s never been very good with hiding his discomfort.

“He’s a good employee, Ms. Pyrope,” and you sighed because you knew a lecture from your subordinate was coming on. 

“Tell me more.”

“As I was _saying_ ,” -- you concluded he’s terrible at hiding his annoyance -- “Gamzee’s gotten all of his cases cleared. Under his supervision, the case involving--”

Karkat fell quiet all of a sudden and you arch your eyebrow, extending your arm so that your cane was poking what you hoped to be his ribs. “You were just giving me a stat report?” you said, albeit confused at the sudden chilly atmosphere in the room. If he was trying to pull a fast one on you then --

“Pyyyyyyyyrope!“ you heard a voice sing, and the familiarity of tune is enough to make your skin scrawl.

But not with fear. With anticipation. 

You felt yourself grin a little and the body pressed against your cane moved a little. 

Kicking your feet up and on your desk, you opened your arms wide as if welcoming a guest. “Thought I saw the last of you in court, Serket,” you replied pleasantly, and although you can’t see her, you can tell she’s smiling back.

“That was quite a case,” she hummed, and you’re surprised you don’t hear her walking around, fucking with your things. Again Karkat came and you figured he had her restrained or taking a seat. Either way it was less for you to deal with.

“You’re telling me? I thought we handled it pretty well. Especially--” you grimaced, “Mr. Makara, for presenting the strongest piece of evidence. The one that we needed to put your company hooked by its neck and hung by a tree. But of course that’s not what you’re here for, now is it?”

Vriska tittered and your mouth slacked, sharp nails tapping against your thigh. “It’s never that easy, sad as it may be.”

“Huh,” you replied dryly.

“But aaaaaaaanyway, I’ll make this quick.” You could hear her shuffling through her bag, and you smell the sandiness of what seemed to be photographic paper. You reached out, fingers gently running along the sea of papers on your desk to pick up the ones she dropped. Karkat was faster, and you heard a sudden snatch. The room was quiet, and you waited, tongue running along your lips in impatience. Then, Karkat gasped as if he was some damsel in a drama, discovering a big secret.

Vriska’s blueberry lips widened, and she was grinning again.  “A picture tells an interesting story, doesn’t it?”

*

“What the hell, Vantas?” you said, nearly tripping over your own feet as you rushed to grab your coat. You’re in a rush and you don’t know why, but something had to have gone wrong because the moment Vriska left Karkat jumped on a swearing spree, babbling about how this and how that and the cruelties of the universe that you just didn’t understand.

Grabbing your messenger bag you picked up an unnecessary amount of documents and stuffed them inside scurrying around in search of your walking stick. 

Karkat was faster, and you could tell by the pounding of his feet on the carpeted floors that he was running (or stomping) out of your office and towards the elevators that had been broken for goodness knows how long. It seemed as if he had gone deaf, for he ignored your calls of confusions and pleas for him to slow down so you could figure out just what the hell Vriska had shown him and how the both of you could take down the world’s biggest threat together. 

However, after a few minutes of playing cat and mouse down various alleys surrounding your building, you grew tired. At the next corner Karkat tried to turn in order to avoid you, you held out your cane and tripped him. Watching his might descent to the ground, you quickly took advantage and sat right on top of him, cane poised by his neck.

“Alright, spill the beans Karkles!” you announced, lips drooped in a frown. Karkat was silent beneath you. He showed no signs of protest, no signs of annoyance. In fact, the way he just silently took your interrogations was a bit mind boggling. The hell was going on?

After a few minutes, you were starting to get worried. Past your joking jabs and playful taunts, what Vriska showed Karkat was scaring you a little. Damn spiderbitch.

Then finally, when you were sure he had somehow died beneath you, did he speak.

“How long?” he croaked, for his face was mushed up against the pavement.

Your breath hitched a little in your throat. “How long what?”

Karkat winced -- you could smell the despair on his face -- as if he had just been told a terrible lie and grabbed at your hips. In a moment you were wobbling to a stance and he was standing in front of you. Tall, exhausted, and cherry.

“How long have you been seeing him?”

Your pulse stopped and the grip on your cane tightened. It took you a moment to remember that he could see you but you could not see him.

“W-who?” you whispered, your eyes glued to the red dragon on your cane, shining despite the dark of the streets.

The two of you stood there, immersed in complete silence. Then, you heard footsteps, and when you reached out with your cane there was no skin to press against.


End file.
